1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical apparatus and an optical apparatus driving unit adapted for use in a television camera, a video camera system or the like, and more particularly to a zoom lens apparatus adapted for use in an ENG camera system and a driving unit therefor.
2. Related Background Art
In the image taking operation with the television camera or the video camera, there are employed various image taking techniques and various functions are proposed for realizing such image taking techniques in a simpler and exact manner.
Firstly, there is known an imaging technique of moving the zoom lens to a predetermined zoom position at a high speed and starting the image taking operation from such zoom position. For such image taking technique, there is proposed a function of memorizing an arbitrary zoom position in advance as a preset position and moving the zoom lens to such preset position with a maximum available drive speed by turning on a switch in the course of the image taking operation. In the present specification, such function will be called xe2x80x9cfast position preset zoom controlxe2x80x9d.
Secondly, there is known an image taking technique of executing image taking while moving the zoom lens at a predetermined constant speed to a predetermined zoom ratio. For such image taking technique, there is proposed a method of in advance memorizing an arbitrary zoom position as a preset position and also memorizing an arbitrary drive speed of the zoom lens as a preset speed, and moving the zoom lens to such present position with such preset speed by turning on a switch in the course of the image taking operation. In the present specification, such function will be called xe2x80x9cmemory position preset zoom controlxe2x80x9d.
Thirdly, there is known an image taking technique of executing image taking while moving the zoom lens at a predetermined low speed in a predetermined zooming direction. For such image taking technique, there is proposed a method of in advance memorizing an arbitrary driving direction of the zoom lens as a preset direction and also memorizing an arbitrary driving speed for the zoom lens as a preset speed, and moving the zoom lens in such preset direction with such preset speed, by turning on a switch in the course of the image taking operation. In the present specification, such function will be called xe2x80x9cspeed preset zoom controlxe2x80x9d.
The first to third controls mentioned above are explained in detail in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 11-307143 and 11-307144.
Fourthly, there is known an image taking technique, in the course of image taking of an object with a certain zoom position, of changing the zoom position and subsequently returning the zoom lens to the original zoom position for continuing the image taking operation.
For such image taking technique, there is proposed a function of memorizing an arbitrary zoom position in advance as a preset position, then, in response to the turning-on of a switch, memorizing the current (original) zoom position and moving the zoom lens to the present position for enabling the image taking operation in such position, and, in response to the turning-off of the switch, driving the zoom lens to the original zoom position memorized when the switch is turned on, for enabling the image taking operation in such original zoom position. In the present specification, such function will be called xe2x80x9cboomerang zoom controlxe2x80x9d.
In executing so-called preset drive control functions, represented by such first to fourth controls, the present information such as the preset position, preset speed or present direction may be memorized for example by a variable resistor for each function or by the operation of memory instructing operation means which instructs the memory for example of a switch status in a semiconductor memory or the like.
A lens apparatus (optical apparatus) and a lens driving unit (optical apparatus driving unit) having the preset drive control functions of plural kinds are described in the Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 11-307143 and 11-307144, and, for each preset control function, there are provided the above-mentioned memory instructing operation means and control starting operation means such as a switch for selecting or starting each preset drive function.
However, in consideration of the recent strong requirement for multiple functions for the optical apparatus and for a smaller dimension and a lighter weight therefor, the use of independent memory instructing operation means for each of the preset drive control functions of plural kinds may complicate the memorizing operation for the preset information and may render it difficult to achieve such smaller dimension and lighter weight in the optical apparatus.
In order to resolve the aforementioned drawbacks, the present invention provides an optical apparatus provided with an optical member or an optical apparatus driving unit to be mounted on or connected to the main body of the optical apparatus, comprising:
memory means for memorizing preset information;
control means for selectively effecting preset drive controls of plural kinds utilizing the preset information memorized in the memory means, in response to a memory instructing operation for the optical member; and
memory instructing operation means to be used for the memory instructing operation in common for the preset drive controls of the plural kinds.
In a preferred embodiment, the preset information of plural kinds are to be memorized in the memory means corresponding to the preset drive control of the plural kinds; and
the memory instructing operation means is used in common for executing the memory instructing operations for the preset information of the plural kinds.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means executes the preset drive controls of plural kinds utilizing the preset information of a kind common to the preset drive controls of at least a part of the plural kinds; and
the memory instructing operation means is used in common for executing the memory instructing operation for the preset information of the common kind for the preset drive controls of the plural kinds.
In a preferred embodiment, the memory instructing operation means consists of an on/off switch; and
the control means causes the memory means to memorize the preset information in response to a turn-on operation of the memory instructing operation means.
In a preferred embodiment, there is provided control selecting operation means to be operated for selecting any of the preset drive controls of the plural kinds; and
the control means cases the memory means to memorize the preset information to be used in the preset drive control selected by the operation of the control selecting operation means, in response to the operation of the control selecting operation means while the memory instructing operation means is operated or simultaneous with the operation thereof.
In a preferred embodiment, there is provided position detection means for detecting the actual drive position of the optical member and the preset drive controls of the plural kinds include a preset drive control to be executed utilizing preset position information; and
the control means causes the memory means to memorize the actual drive position of the optical member, detected by the position detection means, as the preset position information, in response to the selection of the preset drive control utilizing the memorized preset position information by the operation of the control selecting operation means while the memory instructing operation means is operated or simultaneous with the operation thereof.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means is adapted to cause the memory means to memorize the preset information obtained from the actual drive state of the optical member, in response to the drive of the optical member and the operation of the memory instructing operation means.
In a preferred embodiment, there is provided drive instructing operation means to be operated for generating a drive command for the optical member corresponding to the operation amount and the operating direction; and
the control means causes the memory means to memorize the preset information obtained from the actual drive state of the optical member, in response to the operation of the memory instructing operation means while the drive instructing operation means is operated or simultaneous with the operation thereof.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means causes the memory means to memorize the actual drive speed of the optical member as the preset information.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means causes the memory means to memorize the actual drive direction of the optical member as the preset information.
In a preferred embodiment, there is provided control selecting operation means to be operated for selecting any of the pre se t drive controls;
the control means selectively executes the preset drive controls of plural kinds utilizing the preset information of a same kind obtained from the actual drive state of the optical member or the drive command generated by the drive instructing operation means; and
the control means causes the memory means to memorize the predetermined preset information to be utilized in the preset drive control selected by the operation of the control selecting operation means among the preset information of the same kind, in response to the operation of the memory instructing operation means.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means initiates the preset drive control in response to the selection of the preset drive control to be executed utilizing the memorized preset information, by the operation of the control selecting operation means to be operated for selecting any of the preset drive controls of the plural kinds after the memory of the preset information in the memory means.
In a preferred embodiment, there is provided drive instructing operation means to be operated for generating drive command for the optical member corresponding to the operation amount and the operating direction; and
the control means causes the memory means to memorize the preset information obtained from the drive command generated by the drive instructing operation means, in response to the operation of the drive instructing operation means and the operation of the memory instructing operation means.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means causes the memory means to memorize the preset information obtained from the drive command generated by the drive instructing operation means, in response to the operation of the memory instructing operation means while the drive instructing operation means is operated or simultaneous with the operation thereof.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means causes the memory means to memorize the actual drive speed of the optical member as the preset information.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means causes the memory means to memorize the actual drive direction of the optical member as the preset information.
In a preferred embodiment, there is provided control selecting operation means to be operated for selecting any of the preset drive controls;
the control means selectively executes the preset drive controls of plural kinds utilizing the preset information of a same kind obtained from the actual drive state of the optical member or the drive command generated by the drive instructing operation means; and
the control means causes the memory means to memorize the predetermined preset information to be utilized in the preset drive control selected by the operation of the control selecting operation means among the preset information of the same kind, in response to the operation of the memory instructing operation means.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means initiates the preset drive control in response to the selection of the preset drive control to be executed utilizing the memorized preset information, by the operation of the control selecting operation means to be operated for selecting any of the preset drive control of the plural kinds after the memory of the preset information in the memory means.
In a preferred embodiment, the control means initiates the preset drive control in response to the selection of the preset drive control to be executed utilizing the memorized preset information, by the repeated operation of the control selecting operation means after the memory of the preset information in the memory means.
In a preferred embodiment, there is provided display means for indicating that the preset information is memorized in the memory means.
In a preferred embodiment, an external control unit capable of an operation for causing the actual drive of the optical member is connected to a main body of the optical apparatus including the optical member; and
the operation means are provided on the external control unit.
In a preferred embodiment, a camera system is composed of an optical apparatus, or an optical apparatus drive unit and a main body of the optical apparatus, according to any of the foregoing, and a camera on which the optical apparatus is to be mounted.